Page 62 of Falling for a Grumpy Hero

But then I felt the blunt, wide tip of him pressing against me and I stuck my butt out a little more, giggling like the naughty schoolgirl I’d never been but suddenly felt like. Ford’s fingers wrapped my hips and he bent over me, mouth close to my ear and his heat enveloping my back. As exciting as it had been to watch the drawn blinds and imagining them open, I didn’t want to miss a moment of this.

“I’m not going to be gentle, Lila. This is also going to be fast.”

“Got it,” I ground out, tightening my grasp on the desk.

His hips thrust forward like a shot, burying him inside me all at once, and I cried out, my channel still so slick and sensitive that there was absolutely no resistance. My body welcomed him in, and when he started moving, I was wondering if I should offer him permanent residence.

Ford filled me up like no one ever had, his hands exactly where I needed them, when I needed them there. Despite his warning, he lasted exactly as long as I did, working us both into a refreshed frenzy before we went flying over the edge together.

I collapsed onto the desk when my second massive orgasm of the night subsided. Ford caught his weight on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush me. His labored breaths ghosted across my skin as he let out a low, long groan.

“You’re coming home with me tonight,” he murmured in no uncertain terms before he’d even caught his breath. “I want to do that again.”

“Yes,” was all I said in response. I wanted the same thing until I realized it would mean once again doing the walk of shame into my building tomorrow morning, wearing yesterday’s clothes. “Can we swing by my apartment on the way to pick up an overnight bag?”

“No, but we can swing by there to pick up some things for you keep at my place.” There was absolutely no hesitation in his voice, showing me how serious this was to him even now, right at the very beginning. As if he’d read my mind, he suddenly chuckled. “I told myself this morning I’d wait a couple months before I said that, but fuck waiting. I’ve waited long enough.”

A different kind of warmth blossomed through me at the statement. I’ve waited long enough. Well, so have I, Boss Man. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Once we’d both finally caught our breath, he pulled out of me and fixed his pants, then disposed of the condom in his private bathroom before coming back to help me clean up. Since my knees had decided they were still optional, I felt a bit wobbly on my legs. Ford smirked when he noticed it and offered me his arm.

We left the office with me clinging to him like an overly attached koala, but he didn’t seem to mind, opening all the doors for me and not even scowling once.

Until we got to my apartment building, anyway.

Because waiting outside my door was the last man I thought I would ever see again. My stomach plummeted and my eyes widened.

Ben was here and I had absolutely no idea why, but it wasn’t because he had been invited.

32

FORD

In the orange glow of the streetlights outside of Lila’s building, I saw a man who kept glancing up like he was trying to look into the apartments inside. I would’ve thought he was just waiting for a resident to come down to meet him, but Lila stiffened in the passenger seat, and instantly, I knew this wasn’t just some random stranger.

She knew the shortish blond dude, and whoever he was, she hadn’t expected to see him here. I glanced over to see shock registering on her features, kind of making it look like she’d seen a ghost.

Immediately on edge, I reached for the door handle to get out, but Lila’s hand shot out and she rested it gently on my arm. “It’s okay, Ford. I’ll handle this.”

I looked at her and scoffed. “Yeah. No. That’s not happening.”

She sighed as I tugged at the handle and climbed out, but didn’t try to stop me again. Once my feet hit the pavement, I waited for her to join me, sticking close to her side. She strode up to the guy. There was a hesitance about her, but she folded her arms across her chest when we drew near and lifted her chin.

Her body language made it clear that she didn’t want him here and would’ve preferred not to have to speak to him, but since he’d forced her hand by waiting for her outside her home, she wasn’t going to cower either.

At the sound of our footsteps against the concrete, the guy turned, his face blank for a moment until he realized who she was. A smile broke out across his face, a measure of relief in his eyes as he looked at her.

“Lila, thank God. I was starting to wonder if I had the wrong address.”

“What are you doing here, Ben?” she asked, her voice flatter than I’d ever heard it. “You and I don’t have any unfinished business.”

Ah, this must be the ex-boyfriend. I hung back, but only a few inches, ready to jump in if she needed me to.

His easy smile faded, and unless I was imagining things, he seemed to bristle a little bit. “I came down for a visit. I need to talk to you about something. Alone,” he added as his gaze slid to me. “Now.”

My protective instincts reared up and I shook my head. I didn’t like this. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. You need to leave, dude. She doesn’t want you here.”

It was a fact. I didn’t need to be a shrink to notice how uncomfortable she was. Despite the fact that she was putting up a good front with those folded arms, she also shrunk back when he shifted forward and her body was angled slightly toward me.